Portable fire-escape.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 4

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1906.

Application filed ingest 28, 1905. Serial No. 276,146.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. BARSALON,

i n. citizen of the United States, residing at on which is mounted a guide-re Momence, in the county of Kankakee and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Portable Fire- Esca es and do declare the following to be e in clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skiiled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes. The 'ect of the invention is to provlde a portable e-escape ada ted to be connected to a window-sill or ot or support and b means of which a person may lower himse f r to the ground, means being rovided Wherehy thespeed of descent may he regulated and means whereby the descent may be entirely sto ed at an desired point.

fith the a ove and other objects in View the invention consists of certain novel fee tnres of construction, combination, and erra ment of arts, as will be hereinsftelf do: or

scri ed and c aimed.

In the accompanying drawings, F ure is vs. side elevation of the-device, one si e of the casing being removed. Fi 2 is a similar view of the op osite side. 3 is a vertical crossesectione View of the device. Fig. 4 is adeteil side view of the device for lockin the drum and shaft together and s owing sai' device in closed position, and Fig. 5

is a similar view showing the device in open position.

Referring more particularl to the draw- 1 denotes the casin w 'ch may he of any suitable shape, but w 'ch is here shown as cylindrical, onrnaled in the casing 1 is .p, shaft 2, on which is loosely mounted a winding-drum 3'. On the drum 3 is adapted to be wound a flexible supportin element, said element being here shown an is preferin the form of a steel tape, to the outer on of which is connected a hook or other suitable attaching device 5. J ournaled in the ripper portion of the casing is a. sheft' 6 ler 7 are.

which the ta e 4 passes from the winding To .t e lower side of the casing 1 1s a loop 8, in which is adapted to be son may attach himself to the esca e.

Fixedly mounted on one end of t e shaft 2 18 e toothedescapement-wheel 9, and on the shaft 6 is looselfi mountcd an escapementpawl 10, the test of which are adapted to be engaged by the teeth of the wheel 9, so that when said Wheel is turned the escapementormed on or rigidly connected to the pefwl 10 s a de ending arm 12, on the lower end of wh ch is arrangeda toothed segment 13, the teeth of said segment being adopted to mesh with the se mental gear 14, loosely jonrnaled on the on of the shaft 2. Formed on or rigidly connected to the segmental gear 13 ere opposite radially-disposed governor-arms 15,011 which are slidahly mounted goo-senorweghts 16. These Weights are-co nected to on are controlled by bowed springs 18, one end of which is connected to said Weights and the opposite end to the segmental gear, as shown. v

- In order that the winding-drum 3 may he looked to the shaft 2 to revolve the letter, a suitable locking mechanism is provided, said mechanism being here shown as consisting of a plate 18,, hingediy connected to the 9nd of the Windin -drum and having for-med therein a rectangu ar aperture 19, which when the late is m folded position or closed against the end cfthedrum will saga e the adgacent squared end of the Shaft 2, ereby locking said drum and shaft to other. In order that the plate 18 may heh ,d in on agement with the end of the-drum esuita le catch 29 is provided, said catch heing in the form of an arm, which when the plate 18 is in folded positionwill' engages recess 21 the end of the winding-drum and which when the plate 18 is in open posit on the catch-arm 29 will form *a crank-handle, by which, to other with the plate 18, the drum 3 may be loosely rev Yolved on the shafi: 2 to wind up the supporting-tepe without turn ng said shaft or operatmg the governor mechanism,

In one side of the casing 31 is arranged a brake whereby the mnding-dn m may he stopped when desired, said mechani m consisting .efan concentrically-mounted disk 22 which is adapted to be tl rnerl into frictional engagement with the pcnphery of the windawl wiil be rocked in the usual manner..

placed a belt or other means, whereby a per- 7 ICO ing-drum, said disk being provided with an operating handle or lever 23, whereby the same may be grasped b the arty descending on the escape and t e braIre operated to stop the escape at any desired point. Secured to the casing 1 is a spring 24, said s ring being adapted to bear on the handle oi the brake-disk to normally hold the same out of engagement with the winding-drum.

In operation as the tape 4 is being unwound from the drum 3 as the device is lowerin said drum will be rapidl revolved, and the Iatter having been locke to the shaft 2 will revolve said shaft and the escapementwheel 9 fixed thereon, said wheel engaging the esca ement-pawls and operating the same. he movement of the escapementpawl will swing the arm 12 back and forth, causing the segmental gear 13 and the arms 15 to be oscillated on the shaft 2, thus throwing the governor-weights 16 outwardly on the arms 15 to a greater or less degree, and thus retarding the movement of the escapement and the arts connected thereto, which will regulate t e movement of the drum and the unwinding of the tape, as will be understood.

From the fore oing description, taken in connection with t e accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended ex lanation.

Various changes in the orm, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fire-escape of the character described, the combination with a suitable casing, of a centrall -disposed shaft revolubly mounted in sai casing a winding-drum loosely mounted on said shaft, a locking plate hingedly connected to one end of said drum, said plate having formed therein a rectangular aperture to engage a rectangular fprojection on the adjacent end of said sha a combined crank-handle and catch secured to said locking-plate, whereb when the late is folded into en agement with said sha t said combined hand e and catch will engage a keeper in the end of the drum and when said plate is in open position and the drum disengaged from the shaft, said catch forms a crank-handle and is adapted to be used to turn said drum on the shaft and rewind the flexible supporting element thereon, and means to automatically regulate the unwindin movement of the drum, substantially as escribed.

2. In a fire-escape of the character described, the combination with a suitable casing, of a centrally-disposed shaft revolubly mounted in said casing, a winding-drum loosely mounted on said shaft, means to lock said drum to said shaft, a flexible steel supporting element adapted to be wound on and unwound from said drum, means to connect the outer end of said element with a windowsill or other support, a guide-pulley arranged in said casing around which said supporting element is passed, an escapement-wheel fixedly mounted on said shaft, an escapementpawl pivotally mounted in said casing to enga e said wheel, and a governor to automatica ly control the movement of said escapement-pawl, said governor consisting of an arm formed on or fixed to said escapementpawl to move therewith, a toothed segment ormed on the free end of said arm, a sleeve or hub loosely mounted on the windingdrum shaft, a series of gear-teeth arranged on said sleeve or hub and adapted to mesh with said toothed segment, radiallyrojecting arms arranged on said hub or s eeve and spring-controlled governor-weights slidably mounted on said arms, substantially as described.

3. In a fire-escape of the character described, the combination with a suitable casing, of a centrally-disposed shaft revolubly mounted in said casing, a winding-drum loosel mounted on said shaft, means to lock said rum to said shaft, a flexible steel supporting element adapted to be Wound on and unwound from said drum, means to connect the outer end of said element with a windowsill or other support, a guide-pulley arranged in said casing around which said supporting element is passed, anescapement-wheel fixedly mounted on said shaft, an escapementpawl pivotally mounted in said casing to engage said wheel, a centrifugal governor arranged on said winding-drum shaft, means whereby said escapement-pawl is operatively engaged with said governor, and a manuallyoperated brake to stop the movement of said winding-drum, substantiall r as described.

4. In a fire-escape of t e character described, the combination with a suitable casing, of a centrally-disposed shaft revolubly mounted in said casing, a winding-drum loosel r mounted on said shaft, means to lock said drum to said shaft, a flexible steel supporting element adapted to be wound on and unwound from said drum, means to connect the outer end of said element with a windowsill or other support, a guide-pulley arranged in said casing around which said supporting element is passed, an esca ementeel fix.- edly mounted on said sha t, an escapementpawl pivotally mounted in said casing to engage said wheel, a centrifugal overnor arranged on said winding-drum s aft, means whereb said esca ement-pawl is operatively engage with sai governor and a manually- ITO operated brake to stag the movement of said 3 In testimony whereefl have hereuntn set winding-drum, said rake consisting of an i my hand in presence of two subscribing witescentrically-mounted disk, a hand-lever connesses.

nest-ed with said disk to turn the same into HENRY H. BARSALON. engagement with said Winding-drum and a Witnesses: spring to normally hold said brake in inop- FRED CULEN,

erative position, substantially as described M. M. PORTER. 

